Yang Wanli: Unhappy Farmers

 

Unhappy Farmers

 

悯 农
稻 云 不 雨 不 多 黄
荞 麦 空 花 早 著 霜。
已 分 忍 饥 度 残 岁
更 堪 岁 里 闰 添 长!
Min Nong

Dao yun bu yu bu duo huang
Qiao mai kong hua zao zhu shuang.

Yi fen ren ji du can sui
Geng kan sui li run tian chang!

 

Unhappy Farmers

No rain clouds, many of the rice paddies begin to fizzle out
An early frost arrived, sprouting buckwheat empty of flowers.

Already know this year will have to endure hunger and must thoroughly glean each field
And this is a longer leap year, which will increase the misery!